Pen Pals
by Careybear
Summary: Merida receives an unexpected letter. What will the result be? A solid friendship? Or a romance?
1. Can we be friends?

**a/n: I love the movie, Brave. So, until I get my brain unstuck to continue my other fics, I came up with this little idea. I really liked Lord MacGuffin's son. (The one with the accent no one could understand) He was just so cute and awkward. That's why I thought he'd make a good friend for Merida. I will try to actually finish this one and hope you enjoy.**

Merida was in the barn brushing her horse, Angus, when her mother came searching for her.

"You have a letter, my dear," she said, handing her a sealed parchment.

Merida studied it and recognized the wax seal. "Why would Lord MacGuffin be writing to me?" she asked.

"I think it is the young MacGuffin," said the Queen with a smile. "His handwriting is nicer." When Merida still looked confused, the Queen chuckled and said, "Just see what he has to say. Who knows what may come of it."

Merida rolled her eyes and sighed as her mother walked away humming. She sat on a hay bale and began to read.

_Dear Lady Princess,_

_Greetings. Forgive the formality and awkward tone of this letter. I do not know where to begin._

_I want to say how much of a pleasure it was to meet you. I think it was courageous of you to stand up to your parents about to wish of when to marry. You are also a fantastic shot with a bow. Perhaps you can give me a lesson one day? Pa still will not let me live down missing at the Games._

_I do hope we can be friends. I confess, I am shy, thus why we did not speak much when we met._

_I must close. It is time for lessons._

_All the best,  
Seamus MacGuffin_

Merida stared at the note in her hand and found herself rereading it. She smiled. It was quite obvious he was shy. And he had such a heavy accent it was nearly unintelligible. But he seemed like a sweet boy and she had no one near her age to talk to. So, she bid Angus farewell and ran to her room to begin a reply to send out in the morning.

_Dear Seamus,_

_I would enjoy very much to be friends with you. And I will gladly give you lessons in archery next time you are here._

_It is fine that you are shy. We all were put in an awkward situation last time._

_Do you have any brothers or sisters? If not, you can have mine, gladly. I was working out a sketch for a tapestry and they drew googly eyes on it. Yesterday, they thought it would be funny to weaken my lute strings in just the right place they would snap on my fingers. Happily, they will never bother my bow. I will kill them until they are dead._

_What lessons do you have? Mother and I study history, trades, music, speaking in public, and etiquette. Father and I practice archery, hawking, and I have even been practicing sword fighting. I just had to promise not to cut Father's peg off again. It took ages to for a new one to be made that fit him right._

_Time for me to close as well._

_Your friend,  
Merida_


	2. Men!

**a/n: Wow! I can't believe the positive response to this story! You all are so sweet. This is a little scene between Merida and her parents. Wrote it at work. More coming soon.**

2

Merida rose early to send her letter. She chatted happily about it at breakfast with her family.

"Ah, aye, that's his name," King Fergus commented. "I always called him Wee MacGuffin."

"Seamus is a lovely name," said Queen Elinor. "I'm glad he wrote to you. It is good to have friends your own age. Maybe you can invite him to visit."

"I already offered him to tutor him in the bow," Merida beamed. She quickly frowned when her father burst into laughter. "What did I say?"

"Ye best not let the old man find out," said Fergus.

"Why?" snapped Merida, annoyed. "I'm as good as anyone, if not better. And he said his father is still angry about his poor shot in the Games."

"And being taught by a lady will only add to the displeasure," Fergus explained, trying to be serious but still smiling.

Merida pouted.

"Awe, come now," Fergus patted his daughter on the arm with his big hand. "D' not take it personally, lass."

"How am I supposed to take it?" Merida cried, shrugging her father's arm away. "Because I'm a girl, I'm not good enough? The whole kingdom saw me at the Games out shoot all three of those boys. They Lords saw me fight you off when Mum was a bear. And, as I recall, I knocked you on your rear." She got to her feet and continued. "I will help Seamus if he accepts my offer and I don't care what anyone says. If his father has a problem, he can say it to my face." And with that, she took off without a backward glance at her stunned family.

Merida paced her room in anger and frustration. She threw pillows across the room, narrowly missing some of the wood carvings she had bought from the witch in the woods. "How could he say something like that to me?" she grumbled to one of the bears on a table. "After all he knows I can do. After all _he_ taught me to do!" She was so angry at her father she couldn't even voice her thoughts so she tossed another pillow toward the door, and was surprised when her mother caught it.

"Oh, Mum! I'm sorry!"

Elinor smiled. "It's alright, love. I'm just glad you threw the pillow instead of one of the bears."

Merida laughed and plopped on the bed. She loved how she could talk freely to her mother now. Their relationship was so much better than before. "What should I do, Mum? Should I rewrite the letter and take back the offer?"

"It's already been sent, dear," said Elinor. "And don't judge your father too harshly."

"You're not taking his side, too, are you?" Merida cried.

"Goodness, no!" exclaimed the Queen. "I'd give Lord MacGuffin what for if I could right now. But, we're still getting peace back after the whole betrothal fall through and things are still tense. You can give young Seamus lessons if he accepts, but we must do it in a way no one will know it's you teaching him. Nothing against you. You're right. The whole kingdom saw your skill. But, men are a little more sensitive and, let's be honest, prideful when it comes to certain things. So, they don't like when a woman can do the same. It's not right. It's not fair. But, that's how things are and we must do the best we can." She sat down next to her daughter and pulled her close. "I pray there will be a day when things won't be like this. But, until then, we must deal with men like Lord MacGuffin as best we can. And not let our tempers get the best of us. Can you try to do that for me?"

Merida nodded.

"Good." Elinor kissed her daughter's forehead. "Now, when you receive a reply, invite him to spend the summer months with us."

"Summer?" Merida looked at the blizzard beginning out her window. "That's months away. Winter's only just begun."

"Plenty of time to prepare, continue to write and get to know each other, and figure out what to tell his father."

"You mean, we're going to lie to Lord MacGuffin?" Merida stared at her mother in disbelief.

Elinor turned red. "Not _lie._ Just neglect to tell the entire truth. It's a diplomatic necessity sometimes. You'll learn." Now it was Merida's turn to be left stunned.


End file.
